Quick Challenge Answer: Was Jesus an Angel?

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that Jesus and Michael the archangel are the same person. They believe that all the references to an archangel throughout the Bible are referring to Jesus. This can take some Christians off guard when first hearing it. They use a number of verses to support this claim and come to their conclusion that Jesus is not God. Was Jesus an angel? Here are a few ways to understand the question and respond.

Motivations Behind the Claim

I don’t want to always assume that people have an ulterior motive for their arguments, but it is hard to ignore in this case. One of the critical distinctions between Christianity and Jehovah’s Witnesses is the disagreement over the deity of Jesus. They say that Jesus was not God but another created being. Keep that in mind when examining the verses used to support their claim. Concluding that Jesus was an angel makes very little sense from these verses unless you already have that conclusion in mind when reading.

Their Argument Summarized

Their claim goes something like this. Since verses like Jude 9 state “the archangel,” there must be only one. Revelation 12:7 talks about “Michael and his angels,” fighting against Satan. However, other verses like 2 Thessalonians 1:7 talk about Jesus and “his powerful angels.” Then in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Jesus returns “with the voice of an archangel.” Since there can only be one archangel, and there wouldn’t be two different people leading the angels, Michael must be another name for Jesus.

Since we are not supposed to worship angels, we must therefore not worship Jesus.

Assumptions Aplenty

It is an interesting argument but does not hold up very well to scrutiny. They baselessly assume that there can be only one archangel, that only one being would lead the other angels, and that having the voice of an archangel means you must be one.

Even just to put it in human terms, we might talk about a general or captain leading his men into battle. However, on plenty of occasions, the king might step in and lead. There is no contradiction in two beings leading angels.

I think their point about the voice of an archangel proves the opposite. If Jesus is the archangel, you would not need to specify that he spoke with the voice of an archangel. It’s not noteworthy when a pastor speaks with the voice of a pastor or a news anchor speaks with the voice of a news anchor. Also, by their same logic, is Jesus a trumpet, since he also comes with the trumpet call of God?

Not quite how I imagined Jesus, but alright.

The True Identity of Jesus

Their claim that Jesus was an angel is flimsy at best. You would think that the central figure in the Bible would have his identity laid out a bit more clearly. In fact, it was. We see it made explicit that Jesus was God incarnate. Jesus claimed to be God, never referencing being an angel (John 1:1, barring their mistranslation of the verse, John 8:58, John 10:30). Others understood that he claimed to be God (John 10:33, Mark 14:64). Jesus did things only God should do, like forgive sins and accept worship (Matthew 9, John 20:28, Matthew 14:33, 28:17). Their argument is a forced interpretation to avoid concluding that Jesus was who he said he was.

Discuss your thoughts for this post on our Facebook Group here.  

Catagories
Archives
Calendar
March 2023
S M T W T F S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
RSS Listen to Our Latest Podcast Here
  • Why Do People Leave Christianity? March 30, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team answers the question "Why do people leave Christianity?". 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • The Council Of Nicaea Part 1 March 28, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team talks about what really happened at the council of Nicaea.  Part 1 of 2. 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • When Did Satan Enter Judas? March 23, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity QCQ Podcast, the team answers the question "When did Satan enter Judas?".  
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Are Apologists Answering The Right Questions? March 21, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team discusses if Apologists are answering the right questions for today's culture.  
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Who Wrote The Pentateuch? March 16, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity QCQ Podcast, the team answers the question "Who wrote the Pentateuch?". 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Is Genesis Mytho History? March 14, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team discusses an idea from William Lane Craig that Genesis is mytho history.  
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • What Was Written On The Sign Above Jesus' Cross? March 9, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity QCQ Podcast, the team answers the question "What was written on the sign above Jesus' Cross?". 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Interviewing Drew March 7, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, David and Paul interview Drew about the start of Tent Making Christianity. 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • Who Bought The Potters Field? March 2, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity QCQ Podcast, the team answers the question "Who bought The Potters Field?". 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean
  • He Gets Us Followup And Asbury Revival February 28, 2023
    In this episode of The Tent Making Christianity Podcast, the team talks about the "He Gets Us" campaign and the Asbury College Revival. 
    Drew Covert, David Johansen, Paul Yearyean